Take the stage
by TolkienkookAD
Summary: Klara and her friends are actors in RENT, but a mysterious windstorm takes them on a trip they couldn't imagine. Canon pairings and some of my own. Angel and Collins have entered the building, ch. 6 UP.
1. Out tonight

_A/N: Hey, everyone! After a long hiatus of fanfiction, I'm back, and with a new fandom! I've sort of fallen out of the whole Naruto thing, though maybe when I get caught up I'll write it some more. Nowadays I'm all about the theater, baby, and I saw RENT for the first time last week. You all know how I can get with obsessions, so it is safe to consider myself a certified RENThead. This piece is a cracktastic little thing that I dreamed up, based on my own desire for a career in stage theater. Crackfic. Humor. Lolwut._

_(and also, yeah, I may use names I know, or take character traits from me or my friends, but I assure you, the OCs are Original. I'm not specifically basing any character off of someone I know.)_

_And without further ado, enjoy!_

She's dressed wildly, shiny blue pants, low cut top, and her hair flying everywhere. Her clothes fit her form almost too well, and she grins knowingly at the

drunken applause she's getting. A man she knows pretty well hands her money, and she slides it into her plunging neckline. She feels on top of the world,

sexy, amazing, more beautiful then she has ever felt before. The crowd is screaming; "Mimi! Mimi!" as she spins faster and dips lower.

She puts on a coat, the adrenaline pumping faster then ever. She reaches her mark, and slinks towards _him_, sitting and plucking aimlessly at a guitar. He

looks up, shock crossing his features. She captures his mouth with hers, and it's a second of apparent bliss, before he pushes her away roughly. They're

yelling, and the fever of the moment grows stronger. They walk away from each other, each shouting their beliefs, no day but today, leave me in peace, I

want to stay, no, go away.

Three men walk towards her, one in heels and a skirt. They reinforce her, back her, tell her she's right. Tell him she's right.

They walk away from each other, trying not to look back. Still living in the last few moments, they wait for their yea or nay.

Those few moments are eternity.


	2. Cast members

New bohemia, pt 2.

It comes quickly, the wild applause. She pushes her flyway hair out of her face and gives the audience a small grin, before exiting stage left. The boy winks at her and leaves stage right.

The boy in the skirt slips off his heels backstage and bounces a little on the balls of his feet. "That was _Amazing,_ Klara!" He whispered excitedly. She grinned in response. "Oh, I know. I was so feeling it tonight," She responded, also in hushed tones. "But do you remember that time when they like, didn't clap at _all_? It was such a dead audience that night! I was so worried it would happen again." The boy rolled his eyes at her and swatted her arm. Before they could exchange any more words, though, a young woman dressed in black dragged the boy away, preparing him for his next cue. "Actors…" she muttered angrily under her breath.

Klara giggled faintly, wandering over to wardrobe for her costume change. She'd need to be on in a few minutes. The whole cast would for 'Will I'. The fist chords rang out of the theater, and she took her place, stage left, waiting for her cue.

By the time her voice joined the throng, the entire room rang with raw emotion. It was always so remarkable how RENT echoed her life. Tears leaked, unnoticed, from her eyes. It always got her, this song. Would she? Would SHE lose her dignity? Would the world forget about Klara Duleana? Would she fade to nothing, a mere speck of humanity?

Maybe she would. But singing about it always made it hurt less.

------------- 3-------------

She bowed enthusiastically, glowing at the roar of applause. It made the tearstained cheeks and sweat soaked hair worth it. Klara watched a few people in the front row break down with emotion, and instinctively grabbed the hand of the boy standing at her side. They shared wide grins, giggling as they slapped their hands together, attempting to clap for the rest of the cast. Finally—one last bow. One more performance finished.

Backstage, the flurry of activity was almost numbing. Techs and actors passed with encouraging words aimed at each other. Klara stopped, standing amid people rushing everywhere, grinning like a maniac. The magic of the Nederlander didn't end with curtain call. _This _is what she lived for.

"Great job, KK, you were really on tonight—"

"You wanna grab some dinner sweet stuff? Nice job, by the way—"

"Oy! Kuh-lara, fabulous job—"

"Ohmigod, that was like, our best performance EVER—"

"Aaaaaugh! You crazy people! I am very aware of my fabulosity, no need to remind me!" Klara laughed, pressing her hands to her ears. Most of the cast giggled around her, prying her hands away from her head, and poking fun.

She wished it could be like this forever.

------------ 3------------

Klara stopped briefly on the sidewalk, flicking open her lighter and sticking a cigarette in her mouth. Up ahead, the small boy, now out of drag, slipped his hand through the tall black man's arm. He tilted his head up and they shared a chaste kiss. Klara smiled—it was really fitting that their Angel and Collins, better known in the real world as Christopher and Caleb respectively, were in love outside of the production.

"You coming, Kay-kay?" Chris shouted back, where Klara fumbled with her lighter. "Shit." She whispered as she sucked on her newly-burnt thumb. "Yeah, hold your horses, I'm coming." She threw the cigarette on the ground irately and shoved the lighter in her pocket.

They waited for her to catch up. They always did.

-------------- 3--------------

Klara didn't plan on becoming HIV positive. Neither did anyone she knew who had it. The guy who gave it to her, she didn't even know his name. He cornered her as she cut through a back alley, rushing home.

She didn't get home very quickly.

It was so unexpected. Rape was something that happened to other people. Not her. But, it happened. She just had to deal with it. Somehow. Someway.

She tried cutting first. When she stumbled home after midnight that night, her first instinct was to bleed away every single memory the day. So she picked up a knife, drawing it up from her ankles to her knees, completely numb to the pain.

Caleb found her. Klara remembered his arms around her as he moved her into a sitting position on their couch. She might have bled to death if he hadn't woken up and found her. She was lucky in her roommates.

She thought he'd scold her, or freak out. He just silently got out some gauze and bandaged her legs. When he was done, he looked up at her. She couldn't take the silence. The whole story came out in shaky breaths and sobs.

He just listened. Chris hugged her when he found out. He wrapped his arms around her, barely coming up to her chin, and held her shaking form.

It was suicide next. With everything going on, she hadn't thought about the health related consequences. But three weeks later, she went to her yearly HIV test, just to be safe.

It was positive.

Panic was first. What about Caleb, who bandaged her up? What if he'd gotten some blood on his hands, what if it seeped into a blister, or cut? Desperation next. She stopped sobbing. She didn't do anything. Nothing good could ever come, EVER again. Never never never.

Then she broke. She slashed at herself, losing her mind in the blood and tears and pain. Klara wasn't numb this time. She felt ever drop of blood oozing out of her.

C and C, as she called them sometimes, came home to find her passed out on the ground, her test results lying crumpled on the floor next to her. They bound her wound, and paced the floor, and held each other and cried.

Then she woke up. Her eyes flickered open, and reality came crashing through her peaceful dream world, that pleasant abyss between life and death. They gasped, sobbed, and hugged her. Klara decided then she had to live. For their sakes.

For a month or more, she floated in a broken, saddened state. Unwilling to do anything. Sometimes unwilling even to bother with breathing. Caleb and Chris were great. They finger combed her short hair, and told her stories about work, and shared dreams of the future.

Then she found a new way to deal with the pain.

Theater.

--------------- 3---------------

Three months later, Klara was Mimi, Chris was Angel, and Caleb was Collins. Original cast. Broadway revival. RENT. They didn't know the rest of the cast, but they would soon.

A new spring came into Klara's step. She danced down hallways, and found her voice again, singing out every ounce of pain she once carried with her. It helped, it really did. She smiled at her reflection for the first time in months.

Klara Duleana. Ready to take the Nederlander by storm.

**A/n: So, a little bit of angst in this little crack fic. Bet you bitches weren't ready for THAT. Anyway, yes, it would be so, so easy to just make this a run of the mill little cracky thing. But I want to build the characters, give them their own conflicts before I bring in the main plot elements. To recap, the year is 2012, it's early fall, and the story is Klara centric. She is an OC. As are Chris and Caleb. **

** I have some good ideas for the next chapter, so stay tuned!**

** 3 **


	3. Shopping

Sunday. The first day in a long, long while that Klara didn't have rehearsal or a performance. She fully intended to drink milk, run like she meant it, and live it up a little. Honestly, the theater was spectacular, but it could get a little draining.

Or a lot draining.

Klara sat patiently, staring at the clock above the door. She shifted a little on the ratty cushions and watched the second hand tick aimlessly.

8:55. Five more minutes before she could wake up Chris and Caleb without getting ripped to pieces. And believe it, she'd learnt from experience.

8:59. Goddammit. One more freaking minute, that's all she needed. Klara tapped her feet. If those goddamn gay boys wouldn't bang their heart out at night, they could be hitting the streets already, checking out that new clothing store. It was supposed to be pretty funky, and KK was having shopping urges.

Still, past experience. She knew not to wake them. Yet.

9:00. "FAAAAAAABULOUS!" Klara screamed and jumped up, running full speed down the narrow hallway of their apartment. She crashed face first into their door, and banged on it with the furious release of pent up exuberance.

"C'mon my little gay boys, I need your keen eye and dignified sense of style! Time's wasting, up up UP!" Klara twirled around, and started a rhythmic battering on their door. Sleepy mutters came from inside, accompanied with deep sighs.

"We're up, we're up." Chris shuffled out of the door in a pair of sweats, obviously Caleb's, by the size. He shoved past Klara and stomped around in the kitchen, grumbling about the lack of good coffee in the house.

He wasn't a morning person.

But he looked fabulous in heels.

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By 10:00, the three of them were sitting around the table, eating Captain Crunch and discussing the plan for the day.

"Urban outfitters is a must, if you want something funky, Klara. They're kind of pricey, but you've got a bit of money stashed away, haven't you?" She raised her eyebrows at Caleb, and smirked.

"A bit! Baby, we're _stars _in the best damn show on broadway! Okay, maybe it's not an amazing income, but I've got spending money, natch!" She wiggled her eyebrows at him and giggled, pulling out her wallet. "And if not, we can start our own acapella group on the streets. Just for today."

Chris shook his head at the two of them disbelievingly. "You are far, far too chipper to be human at 10:00 AM. What have you done with my friends, fiends?" He stood up gracefully, and swept out of the room, nose in the air.

"…"

"…"

"…right, like I was saying. Urban Outfitters. There's a new thrift store down close to alphabet city, too, we could check it out."

"Totally. And I seriously need a new hat."

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"Hats, Dats, Bags, that's my coat! We give discounts…" Klara sang under her breath, shifting through the rack of shirts in front of her. A bright green one with the words "Actors do it onstage" jumped out at her. She grinned as she read it and checked the price, only 15 dollars! She draped it over her arm and walked over to the dressing room.

It fit almost perfectly to her form, wrinkling just enough around her curves, and the green worn to give it the vintage look. She bought it on the spot, and wore it the rest of the day. Sometimes, you just had to indulge yourself.

"Klara, come look at this!" Chris called from the back of the store. He was positioned near the jewelry section, admiring an ornate choker, silver threads, and a large black opal set in the middle, it looked as though it would fit right into the hollow at the center of your neck. It really was gorgeous. "Nice shirt, by the way," he said.

"Thanks…" Klara answered, entranced by the necklace. It looked really old, almost antique. She wondered how much something this gorgeous would cost.

"Look, it's only 30 dollars," Caleb stated, coming up behind them, and flipping it over. "KK, it would look amazing on you! You've got that pale little goth thing going on," She mock glared at him, and took the necklace out of his hands. "You're lucky I'm proud of being a pale little goth kid, jerk." She laughed.

"Hey, Goth kid by day, stripper in the Nederlander by night!" Chris chimed in, slipping his arms around Caleb's waist. "Don't forget junkie," He laughed, pulling Chris closer. They nuzzled their noses together before allowing their lips to meet.

Klara shook her head and smiled at the two, lost in their own world, before turning back to the jewelry in her hand. She knew she really shouldn't, but her hands moved of her own accord, and she opened her wallet, heading towards the counter to pay.

She came back and the two were leaned against each other, taking in the other's scent, and just being happy. It almost made her cry, the simplicity of it all. They really did love each other more then life.

Chris pulled away as Klara approached, noticing she still had the necklace. "Oooh!" He cried. "Did you get it? Here, let me put it on you." He lifted it around her neck, pushing the short strands of hair away from the nape of her neck.

She remembered a coldness as it bumped against her neck. As it settled there, it seemed to come alive, glowing with a sudden heat.

And then, the world flared green.

**A/N: So, I've got Klara back to her peppy personality. I planned from the beginning to make her a very vibrant character, but her angst just seemed to write itself.**

**Anyway, things are heating up, and soon Klara and the C's will be on their way to a really amazing journey.**

**But first, I wanna clear things up a little bit. The basis of this idea is in total crack, but it's not written so. I fully intend to make this a complex, interesting story that has characters with their own inner conflict to resolve. And I think it'll go on for a while.**

**Also, the necklace I attempted, and failed to describe is this one, http://whisperinthetrees. . That's me, but not my deviantart account. If you want to contact me over dA, I'm TolkienkookAD. **

**Danke!**


	4. Life Cafe

It lasted barely a millisecond. The flash of green was gone the moment it hit their eyelids, and the three of them stood blinking the spots off their eyes. No one else seemed to have noticed.

The first thing that registered with Klara was that she really, REALLY wanted to go to the Life Café. Strange, since it was 15 blocks away, and she had never felt any particular need to go there, but still. This unsatiable urge filled her, and she stood, dazed.

The first thing that Caleb noticed was the surreal shift in the air in front of him. It felt as though he was standing in a fog, but a thin, transparent one. He swayed a little, squinting to see clearly. Did he need glasses all of a sudden? Had the bright green light made him blind? He shook his head and leaned into Chris a little. It would pass soon.

Chris didn't notice anything except the beepers that went off simultaneously from each of their waistbands.

AZT break.

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All three swallowed their medicine as they trooped outside. It was lucky they had each other, truly. Only the three of them could tell the other that they understood what it was like to have AIDs in the 21st century.

Chris put his hands behind his head and twirled in front of them. "Where we headed now? Cuz I am awake and ready to buy a fabulous new hat!" He sang. Caleb just squinted, while Klara turned her head this way and that, as if she was trying to locate something.

"Okay guys, what the shit. You're freaking me out. What's going on?" Neither answered, just continued to look slightly dazed and off. Klara opened her mouth, then closed it.

She opened her mouth again. "I think we should eat at the Life Café." She looked slightly surprised at her answer, like she hadn't meant it to come out of her mouth.

"Why? It's like, a million miles away. I was thinking we'd just buy a hotdog or something from a street vendor."

"I dunno. I just…Maybe it's something to do with the musical and everything, but I just really wanna go. Haven't you ever felt curious about it, Chris?" It occurred to Klara that she really did want to know about the place Jonathan Larson so loved. It might have almost been a temple, something sacred to visit.

"Not really. But mostly because we live a MILLION FREAKING MILES AWAY. Didn't you hear me the first time? I know I don't have to wear heels today, but I like my legs fresh and ready for duty. Not walking 20 blocks." Chris raised his eyebrows at her.

"15."

"Whatever."

"I think we should go." Chris and Klara turned in surprise to Caleb, usually the least adventurous of the group. He smiled faintly at both of them. "Something happened in there, and the first thing you say is that we should go to the life café? C'mon, Loverboy. Lets hoof it."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Twelve blocks later and soaked through due to poring rain, Caleb was no longer so enthusiastic. Plus, he could barely SEE, dammit. Klara and Chris were skipping along, dancing in the raindrops and sticking out their tounges. They didn't seem hindered by a lack of vision.

Muttering angrily under his breath, Caleb was taken by surprise as his feet lodged themselves in a crack in the sidewalk, allowing his head to bang into the cold concrete, and get his whole front even wetter.

"FUCK!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Chris swiveled around and rushed back to his lover, helping him up and alternately attempting to hug the breath out of him. "You okay, baby? You've been weird all day, we're almost there, you absolutely sure you're okay?" He babbled a worriedly, as he took his hand and squeezed it, searching his face for scratches. Caleb grinned for the first time since the rain started, and put an arm around Chris' waist. He started walking again, watching his feet carefully.

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They arrived at the Life Café soaking and shivering, and gladly rushed inside. The wind had picked up, and it was like a regular gale outside. The temperature had dropped significantly also, and they were thankful to have arrived at their warm destination.

The café was mostly empty, as regular patrons had decided not to brave the weather. Klara, Chris, and Caleb hustled to a table in the back, near the radiator. Caleb blinked rapidly. His vision had been reduced to coloured blurs, and he instinctively gripped his lover's hand. He sighed, and set back. It would be a while to wait out the storm.

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Michelle Kennedy stepped off the train, stretching her aching muscles. Nine straight hours of sitting next to a lecherous businessman who made a point of eyeing her ass every time she stood up was not her idea of fun. Anything for love, eh?

She thanked the conductor and walked through the platform, hiking her small duffel up on her shoulder. She was dressed respectably, in dark jeans and a white button up shirt, tucked in nicely. Her shoulder length brown hair was tied into two braids, and straight bangs fell into her eyes. She impatiently pushed them away.

Stepping outside, Michelle was dismayed to notice the ferocious storm occurring before her. This was not the welcome she expected of New York City. She sighed, and flipped open her cellphone. Speed dialing a number, she lifted the phone to her ear.

It rang on with no response. Finally she came to the answering machine. "Hi there, you've reached Klara Duleana, I'm obviously not in, so leave a message or expect me to call you back at 4 AM. Just to spite you." Michelle giggled faintly and stumbled over her next words.

"Um, Hi, KK, it's me. Michelle. Uh, I'm here, in New york. I wanted to come and see you, if you're willing, uh…well, I, Klara, what I'm trying to say is, I made a mistake, and I was just wondering if we could get together and talk sometime, maybe—" The cellphone responded with an irate beep, cutting her off. Michelle bit her lip. She was cold, wet, and just stepped off a one-way train 500 miles from her home with no one to greet her.

She really was the clever boots.

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**A/N: well, I was gonna give y'all who actually read this a little more to chew on, but I still need to figure out how to introduce Michelle and Klara's past together, and how to make it relevant to the story. Don't worry, your beloved RENT cast will come in to play in the next chapter, or possibly the one after that. **

**Reviews are crack, and I'm an addict. Srsly. Press the damn button. **


	5. Something's changed

"Hey, guys, I think it's clearing up," Klara said drowsily, as she looked out the window to see the last rays of the sun illuminate the wet sidewalk. Chris yawned and moved from his place on her shoulder to move over to the window.

Four hours.

Four fucking hours.

It was time to get the fuck out of here.

------------------------------------

As of then, Chris, Klara, and Caleb were the only ones in the Life. They'd fallen asleep curled against one another in a booth, waiting for the rain and wind to stop, and let them get home. Chris yawned again, and leaned across Klara's lap to snuggle into Caleb.

She prodded him. "Don'cha wanna get home? Or we could check out Tripp's showroom, but it's getting late. We don't have rehearsal for a week, but shouldn't we get rest anyway?" He blinked at her and stroked Caleb's hand absentmindedly.

"Why does it feel different?" he asked out of the blue. "I swear, something feels wrong."

Caleb jolted awake at that moment, looking out the window. "Hey, the sun's out. We can go home!"

"Genius, I said that already. Let's get moving. Caleb, make your boyfriend get his flamer ass out of my lap." Klara attempted to move Chris across her lap to Caleb with no success, and was starting to get pissed. Caleb chuckled and lifted him away from Klara, letting her get up and stretch.

"Thanks. Wake him up, I think it's time for a girl's night in," She waggled his eyebrows at him. "I've got a few new chick flicks waiting at home…"

Caleb shook Chris gently, and was struck by the sudden realization that his vision had returned. He blinked rapidly, before scooting out of the booth. Chris groaned, but stood up and followed.

Klara, meanwhile, stood motionless in the center of the deserted (save for the clanging of dishes in the kitchen and the idle snoring of the manager at the front) resteraunt, looking around as if she couldn't remember where she was.

"KK? You okay?" Caleb looked at her curiously. Klara raised a hand to her brow and massaged it.

"Yeah…I'm fine. It just…" She trailed off, letting silence fall before speaking again. "This isn't the way the place was when we fell asleep. I'm sure of it."

"…Klara, babe, what do you mean? It's still the Life Café, and we're still in New York City. You know how things change over here." He walked over to her, with Chris trailing sleepily behind him. She looked at him and widened her eyes.

"It's not that. The menu is different. The Manager is different. The tables are arranged differently. Look, there's even a whole section missing back there! There's just an old door, and there used to be tables. I swear, it's changed." Caleb looked to the door she pointed at. He wasn't at all sure it wasn't there before. Maybe Klara was right? No, she couldn't be.

"Babe, seriously. They shifted the tables while we fell asleep. No bigge. You're probably remembering wrong. C'mon. Let's get home, maybe you're having an attack?" He tugged on her fingers with the hand not intertwined with his lover's, pulling her towards the door. She followed reluctantly.

"But…I know I'm right. I know it changed." She gave in and walked with him outside.

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The three stopped as they stepped onto the streets again. Even Chris, perfectly oblivious, and famous for missing the point couldn't miss the change that happened around them.

The studio was _gone._ Just like that. The CyberArts studio, it towered above them just two blocks away, they had commented aloud as they went into the life. And now it was gone, replaced by, as far as they could tell, a ratty old building. Looked like it might've been apartments.

"Alphabet city…" Klara whispered. "What the fuck happened…" She let go of Caleb's hand and walked dizzily towards the studio, turning around, and around, trying to figure out where she was. "Were we asleep for so long…?" She wondered.

Chris pulled out his iPod. "No," he said, looking almost scared now. "It's definitely only been four hours, and the clock's still ticking. It feels deserted. Did a bomb go off and we didn't notice?" He stared at the sky apprehensively, as if expecting to see a mushroom cloud.

As if on cue, the streets came alive. With the fading lights of the sun came people popping out of shops and apartments, yelling that the rain had stopped. Klara, Caleb, and Chris stood, occasionally being jostled as the crowd rushed by them. They reached to each other and joined hands by instinct.

They walked in a daze to stand by a fence in a less crowded part of the sidewalk. They looked at each other, confused as to what was going on.

"Maybe we imagined the studio." Chris said, even though he'd been the one to comment on it first.

"No." Klara answered. "We didn't."

Their voices were soft as they spoke to each other. They searched their minds and each other's for explanations. They didn't notice the laughter ringing from a compact Latina woman, who turned to face someone behind her as she walked. She barreled right into Klara, who pulled down Chris and Caleb with her.

"Oh, my god! Sugar, are you okay? I'm so sorry!" The Latina had an odd edge to her clearly feminine voice…it was like someone trying to hard to be a girl. It was the voice Klara heard on her old friend Jonny, when he'd show off his new skirts, and the Revlon makeup he bought at half price.

"Fuuuuck…" She muttered, peeling herself up from the still wet ground. She offered her hand to her companions, uncounciously checking them over for scrapes of bruises. They looked fine, and the bump seemed to wake them all up.

She turned to the woman who was blushing scarlet and apologizing profusely. "Don't worry about it," She said, checking her stinging elbows for cuts. "I'm still alive, aren't I?" She glanced at Chris and Caleb, seemingly stunned at the woman and her friends, who were crowded around. Klara furrowed her brow and looked at her attacker.

She froze, no other way to describe it. Her legs, chest, arms, head, it all became ice. She stood, still slightly hunched over and gaping.

It was Angel.

Angel Dumott Shunard. It had to be. Or it was some sort of sicko who pretended to be him on weekends. Either way, it was a carbon copy of Jonathan Larson's vision. She wore a black bob wig with flowers tucked into it. Her skin was a light brown, and the bulky red jacket she had slung over a green and orange sweater contrasted it perfectly. Her skirt was white with a delicate flower print, and Klara's eyes widened as she noticed the green tights and clunky black heels.

It wasn't Wilson Jermaine Heredia. It was Angel. Pure and simple. Klara seemed to unstick herself and turned to face Chris. She swiveled back and gaped at Angel again.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sugar? Did I stun you that bad?" Angel looked at them worriedly, probably wondering about legal fees if this girl had to go to the hospital.

"By the way, I'm Angel."

_Whump. _Klara's head hit the ground for the second time that day.

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**A/N: Meeheehee! Angel enters the picture! This is where the story is leading, and THIS, is where the crack aspect enters.**

**I'm enjoying the story a lot more, as of now. I'm finally beginning to get my groove back. I hadn't written anything in a long time since this fic, and I really, well, despise the first few chapters, just for the akwardness of the writing. I think I'm starting to hit a part of the story that is really fun to write, so updates will probably come more frequently now.**

**Also, I find it amusing that whenever I tried to write for Chris, I always accidently typed 'Jonny'. The original basis for Chris was a friend that goes by that name, but daaaaamn, I don't think it fits anymore. Jonny's to fierce for a sweet little boy like Chris :D**

**Anyway, I adore reviews, and I try to respond to them all, so please, press that button. Tell me how I did.**

**Loves-TKAD. **


	6. introductions

"Oooh, my god…" Klara groaned pitifully. Her head ached like she had drunk last night away. She opened her eyes and looked around dizzily. She was in a small, two room apartment, sitting on a couch pushed against the wall next to the door. Across from her was a large desk, with a microwave and a mini fridge sitting on top. Another door was placed on the other wall, presumably to a bathroom. A dresser was the only other furnishing in the room, aside from the odd chair.

And the mannequins and clothes. Everywhere.

She blinked rapidly, and sat up, her hands unconsciously tugging on the short strands of her hair. She tried to move her feet off the couch, and realized that Chris and Caleb were curled up on them, fast asleep. She tugged her feet out from under them and prodded them both roughly.

Groans met her attempts, and she increased the intensity of her attack. They moaned again and uncurled from each other, looking at her with confusion before it dawned on them what had happened that day.

They both opened their mouths at the same time but were cut off by Klara. "Okay. Tell me what I remember about mysteriously disappearing cyber studios and pop culture icons coming to life was a sick dream?" At the same time, she raised her hand to her neck, feeling the choker she bought earlier. Shit. Not a dream.

"If it's creepy for you, think about me. I PLAY this supposed pop culture icon on Broadway! They're already trying to find out where we're from, I have no idea what to tell them!" Chris leaned into Klara and spoke in an urgent whisper. She pulled back. "Them? Not just Angel?"

Fearing she knew the answer already, she followed Caleb's finger to a window in the wall across from her, leading out to a fire escape. There, Angel stood in the arms of a tall black man, watching the sunset.

"…Collins." She breathed. The three fell into a disbelieving silence, watching the lover's turn towards each other and kiss, their hands intertwining.

Klara gripped Chris's hands, and her in turn grabbed Caleb's. _'what is going on?'_

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Chris and Klara snuggled into one another, watching Caleb pace back and forth in front of the couch. Angel and Collins were still outside, and their chaste kisses had escalated into a full scale make out session. No one was too worried about the actions. It was the subject material.

"So what have you guys told them? And why are we at their apartment?" Klara gripped the hands of her best friend a little tighter, apprehensive to any answer she'd get. Chris must have sensed her nervousness, because he spoke soothingly to her.

"Chill, KK. We told them we were visiting from Maryland, and got lost. You an' me have got the accents, so our story checks out. I'm not worried about Caleb, though. They aren't too interested in making sure we're who we tell them we are. You're crushing my hands, sweetie," Chris gently removed his hands from her grip, and continued. "After you fainted, we couldn't get you up, and your head was bleeding a little. They insisted on taking you back here to get you back on your feet. They're…they're really nice, Klara."

He looked pained as he said it, though Klara really couldn't imagine why. Their characters were _written _that way. Of course they were nice!

A slight beeping distracted her, and she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She flipped it open and pressed a few buttons. "Someone left us a message at home," she said.

"Did it forward?"

"Not yet. I have to retrieve it myself, and there's not exactly good service here. It'll be a while." Klara closed her phone and shoved it in her pocket again. "It's good we've got it though. May come in handy."

Caleb sighed and joined the other two on the couch. "Do you think we should try and break them up? We need to figure out what to do." He nodded towards the silhouette still on the fire escape. The day had grown dark, and all three actors knew it would be a bad idea to walk home in this sort of neighbourhood, even if they knew where home was.

"No need," Chris answered as Collins and Angel crawled in through the window. The drag queen's face lit up as she saw them all awake and sitting up, and she maneuvered past boxes of books and fabric to get to them. Collins followed her, smiling at them warmly.

"Good morning, sugar! Or should I say, good evening!" Angel said to Klara. "Glad to see you're awake. Is your head feeling any better?" Klara smiled in spite of herself, and nodded shyly.

"It just feels like a normal headache. Thanks for letting me stay here. Can…Can I ask a few questions? Can WE ask a few questions?" She amended herself when Chris poked her stomach.

"Sure," Angel answered. Collins dragged a chair over and she perched easily on his lap. "Fire away, sweet thing."

"First, wha…what…year, is it?" Klara blushed furiously. She looked up to see Angel looking curiously at her, and Collins outright staring.

"It's…it's 1990. January. Are you…did you, uh, hit your head a little harder then you think?" Collins answered. Klara shook her head vehemently.

"No. I'm fine. I was just…testing you?" She trailed off lamely. Caleb stepped in to her rescue. "So, I don't mean to impose or anything, but it's dark. Can we save the twenty questions for later and stay with you guys tonight?"

Angel looked taken aback, but recovered quickly. "Well, we're going over to a friend's loft in a few. If you introduce yourselves and tell me what brings you to alphabet city, sure." She grinned outright again. "I'll even introduce you to my friends."

Chris jumped up, eager for a theatrical introduction. "My good hosts, allow me to introduce New York's own Broadway Babies, KK Duleana, more commonly known as Klara," Klara stood up and curtsied gracefully before straightening and gesturing dramatically to Caleb. "Caleb Johnston, fierce and fabulous, connoisseur of languages and the best damn singer on this side of the Mississippi!" Caleb bowed extravagantly and grabbed Chris around the waist. "And Christian Simmonds, who is anything but a Christian. Call him Chris, puh-leease!" The three joined hands and bowed as if they were onstage, before giggling madly and collapsing back on the couch.

Collins and Angel jumped up and clapped, laughing even harder then "New York's Broadway babies".

Angel controlled herself and said in between giggles, "You guys pass. C'mon, I don't even know you, but let's get drunk off our asses at Mark and Roger's place. They're our friends."

Klara caught herself before she said "I know," and slipped her jacket on. She joined hands with Chris, still ensnared by his lover, and followed Angel and Collins outside the door.

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She suspected that they were all feeling a little weirded out. Chris and Caleb, like her, were probably pretending they didn't know all about these people, pretending that they weren't stuck in the world of RENT. It made it a little easier to cope with conversation. I mean, Klara Duleana. She was walking down the street watching Chris have a casual conversation with Angel fucking Schunard. How was this normal? Best to pretend it was a spooky coincidence.

She flipped open her cell phone again and held it up to get service. Here on the streets, she managed to catch a few bars. Typing in the command to retrieve voicemail from home, she grabbed Chris's hand and pulled him back a little, letting Caleb take his place. She pressed listen.

Intertwining her fingers with the small boy beside her, Klara held the phone up to her ear. She quickened her pace to keep up. A familiar voice played into her ear. "Um, Hi, KK. It's me, Miche—"

Klara stood stock still and shut the phone off, breathing heavily and massaging her temples. Chris looked at her worriedly, as she leaned over and tried to control her breathing, hands on her knees. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and attempted to light one. She dropped two, and nearly burned herself on the lighter. Her hands shook visibly.

"I thought you were trying to quit," Chris said quietly.

Klara finally lit one and took a deep drag, watching the smoke curl in to the night sky as she breathed out.

"That was Michelle," She said in response.

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**A/N: Is it just me, or are my chapters getting longer? Once again, I had fun writing this! I've never before attempted a multi-chaptered fic, and I'm having a blast.**

**Next chapter I think you'll get a little more of Klara and Michelle's background together, as well as KK, Chris, and Caleb's introduction to the rest of the bohemians! **

**Review, please. I'd really love some tips on how to make this story better, and I love to hear your input. Thank you!**

**TKAD**


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